The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-08
ON BOARD THE FLAGSHIP.
How a Man-of-War is Commanded
and Off1cered.
From the Boston Record.

From the Boston Record.
When a reporter went over the starboard
gangway aud stepped on the deck of Rear
Admiral Luce's flagship, the Richmond, last
Friday, six bells were being struck. The
scene about the deck was an animated one,
sailors in working suits of white shirts and
trousers, with white covers drawn over their
blue caps, We're busy in all directions, some
of them polishing up the brass work, which
glistened in the sun like gold; some of them
busy on jobs which no landSman could I'M
derStand the need of, many with needle and
thread making uniform shirts of dark blue
flannel, and trousers of white duck or
broadclOth, and others still walking up and
down the deck forward of the mainmast,
past which none of the sailors are allowed
to 60, unless they have some business there,
or lounging between the guns. Upon the
bridge forward of the smoke-stack two
quartermasters were stationed, whose duty
it was to announce to the officer of the deck
the approach of boats and the appearance
of any signals aboard the other vessels of
the feet
EXPERT NEEDLEWORK.
A number of the older men were busily
engaged in embroidering with white and
red silk the emblems of rank which are
worn on the sleeves of petty officers. The
work was being done with much skill and
neatness and when finished will be credit
to the best of needlewomen.
This needlework, which was going on all
over the forward part of the ship, was
something of surprise to the lookers-on.
Approaching a grizzly old salt, whose APP
pearance would seem to indicate that his
hands were more familiar with reef points
and deep-sea lead than with needle and
thread but who was busily engaged work
ing a blue foul anchor on groundwork OF
white, he was asked about it. 90, yes"
said he, "a great many men in the navy
make their own clothing and they make 1t
WELL too. Your regular man-of-war's man
is very particular about the cut of his
clothes, and if he cuts and sewS them him
self he is sure to get good fit and knows
they are well made We draw the cloth
from the paymaster once a month, and all
the sewing is done with silk. The clothes
cost little more than those bought ready
made, but they last longer"
'Can all the sailors sewsn was then asked.
mot all of them can make a pair of
trousers or work these anchors" was the
answer, ''but those who can't, get those who
can to do it for them, and the best work
men are thus enabled to make quite hand
some sum of money during the cruise"
Lieut. Samuel Seabury, well known as
the designer of an improved style OF boat,
was the officer of the deck when the reporter
walked aft. and a desire having been ex-
pressed to know something about the man
and the life on board ship while in port,
another officer was summoned who knew
all about it and had time to talk.
THE MEN AND THEIR LIFE ON BOARD.
To this gentleman was put the query how
many people are there on board here!
There are $50 all told, was the reply,
land if you count petty officers, l0l OF them
have title"
THAT gives an officer to about every
three men and half said the reporter,
what in the world can they all find to
do, and how do the three men and half
stand it,"
Easy enough" was the answer. CAN
these officers do not command the ship
Each has his particular duty to perform, for
which he only is responsible, and there is no
clashing. Everything moves like clock
work under the stIictest kind of discip-
line
Now to begin with we have the rear adj
miral, his secretary, a flag lieutenant, sig
nal officer and an aid whose duties relate to
the whole squadron, and not to any partlcu-
lar ship Then there is the chaplain, Holy
Joe the sailors call him, who is only carried
on board flag ship, and whose duties atloat
are the same as those of a minister on
shore OF commissioned officers attached to
there are %. This includes the captain,
executive officer, who is responsible to the
captain for all that goes on, the navigator
lieuteuantS who stand regular watches, the
engineer officers surgeons, paymaster, mas
tiers and ensigns, all of whom are in the line
of promotion. There are four warrant
officers, the boatswain, who looks after the
rigging, etc, and through whom are trans
mitted the orders from the officer on the
IN no no yVbn Looks
after the great guns; the carpenter and sail
maker. All these live aft in the cabin,
ward-room and steerage, and are the only
ones that may really lay claim to be consid-
cred officers as the term is used in the navy
THE HOST OF PETTY OFFICERS.
But after them comes a host of petty
officers whose numbers swell the list up to
the total of 10l which / have given you.
They are divided into three classes as fol-
lows: Chief petty officers-The master at
arms. He goes by the name Jimmy
Legs" among the sailors, for what reason
do not know, and is a most important per-
sonage. The police duty is his; he is supreme
on the berth deck, has the care of any
prisoner that may be confined in the brig
and sees to it that everything in
his domain is kept in perfect order,
and that there are no rows or
trouble among the men,. Then comes the
equipment yeOman, under whose care is all
the extra material necessary to repair the
rigging, etc; the apothecary, tine pay
masters yeoman, who assists the paymaster's
clerk in serving out provisions and other sup
plies the engineer yeoman, who performs a
like duty in the engineers department; the
ships writer, who is the executive officers
clerk; the schoolmaster, the bandmaster Ia
band is only carried on bodrd flagships),
two machinists, the first sergeant of marines
and the chief quartermaster, who has charge
of the colors and is supposed to be one Of
the best seamen on board.
The petty officers of the second class are
four boatswains mates, who assist the
boatswain and whose shrill whistle you may
hear calling attention to the various orders
which they repeat after receiving them
from the officer of the deck; four quarter
masters, gunners mate, coXswain to the
commander-in-chief, who has charge of the
barge and steers it, two ships cOrporals,
assistants to the master at arms; the ships
cook, the chief musician, a boiler-maker, an
armorer who has charge of the small arms
two carpenters mates, blacksmith. a sail
makers mate. two water tenders in the en-
gineer's department, and two sergeants Of
marines.
The petty officers of the third class in
clude two captains of the forecastle, two
captains each of the fore, main and mizzen